Car-coupler-positioning device



May'zl, 1929.

K Filed June 16,

A. E, .SMALL CAR COUPLER OSITIONING DEVICE 1 4pm r 525m all hillsideARTHUR E. SMALL, OF CHICAGO, LLINIS, ASGNOR T UNIN METAL PRODCTS CMPANY,GF CHICGO, LLINS,

A CORPGRATON 0F BELAVIARE.

Application filed .Tune 16,

This device relates to nie-ans tor automatically positioning` thecoupler ot a railway car by gravity.

Tivo railway cars are automatically cou pled together by the movement oitheir respective couplers forcing` the tails ot the pivotcd knucklesbehind gravity locks. The couplers are mounted in the cars so as topermit a limited amount ot lateral moveftlucli li itation is necessaryand esbecause ii' the couplers Evere allowed to move too tar to eitherside, the couplers ot the tivo cars being coupled would pass each otherand not couple, thereby deteating the object ot the automatic coupler.rllie greater the lateral movei'ueiitof a coupler the less side pressureon he striking.;` cast-- inn; -Winni the cars are going` around curves.This lateral pressure itorces the Wheel tlangcs against tho rail causingconsiderable triction and Wearing of the rails and Wheels.

@ne of the Objects oi" the invention is to increase the amount otpermissible lateral movement ot a coupler by providing automatic meansfor returning` the couplers to the longitudinal center of the car or atleast close enough thereto so that the automatic couplers will couple.This is what is termed the coupling range.

lt is very often necessary to couple cars on curves and frequently whenthe radius ot the curvo is very small,v as is common around industrialplants, the couplers ot the tivo car, will be so tar out ot alignmentthat they Will not automatically couple. Another object oit theinvention is to automatically bring` such couplers Within couplingrange, The outside rail of a curved track is raised above the insiderail and l provide means whereby the coupler is moved toward the i ide'of the curve by gravity. This automatic `gravity means also returns thecoupler to the longitudinal, center oit the car when trom the curved tothe fht part ot the track. my device the lateral movement between thecoupler and the carrier is eliminated, thus reducing` friction andconsequent W iv on the parts. This is quite an item pai ularly in sandycountries because coupl rs are costly and the replacement of a couplermeans keeping the car out ol service.

Coupler positioning` devices reduces the number of broken knuckles andguard arms on couplers which members are frequently bent or broken Whenthe couplers are not i926. Serial No. 116,405.

Within coupling range. Such devices also reduce the number ot accidentsto trainmen as they are not required to go between the cars and positionthe coupler preparatory to coupling. v

fr common form oit car coupler positioning device eo nprises a couplercarrier swingably suspended by links trom some part of the car so thatthe objects and advantages mentioned above are obtained and my inventionan improvement upon such devices and consists in providing;` a shiftablebl nip` construction to increase the eccentricity ot the Weight of thecoupler (and its associated parte) about its point ot support, thusinert to retin' :ie coupler to the longitudinal center ot' the car (oraivay therefrom When the car is tipped). l accomplish this result,without necessarily increasing the vertical rise oi the coupler. rlhisis important becauso the A. l. A. standard dimensions only permit B/livertical rise ot the coupler.

ln my device the coupler carrier is swing ably suspended trom anyconvenient part ot the c r by a link at each of its ends and is providedwith means, such as lugs, to prevent lateral movement of the couplerrela 'ive thereto. Thos-"ie links have a pivot which entirely supportsthe carrier through al predetermined amount ot swinging movement of thelinks and also when the coupler is its normal central position. At leastone ot tliesr links has a portion. which has unrestricted iovemeiit oraction during such predetermined movement, but which enthe cui' part (orcarrier if at the lower end) upon any additional swingingmovement in onedirection, and causes its pivot to move away trom its bearing` so thatthe load on this link is shifted entirely to the id portion. rlllie linkmay be provided .th spaced apart portions on the opposite sides et thelink so that a similar action takes place when the carrier moves in theoy gosite direction7 or oppositely projecting portions may be used onthe separate links to accomplish the saine purpose. in practice thepredetermined movement of the link would permit the carrier and couplerto move laterally during` the ordinary runningl notions ot' the car.

The sliittable bearing construction may be used on one or both ends ot'one or both links. It may be used to function on one link when thecarrier moves in one direction7 and upon 'ng the resultant torcetending` thev other link Vwhen the carrier moves in the other direction.Furthermore, the shit'table bearing construction may be arranged .withcontacting points or lines between the link and car part or between thelink and the carrier but a journaled bearing is preferable to providegreater bearing area, at least during the predetermined movement. in a jour-VV naled arrangement, the journal may be on the car lpart and thejournal bearing on the link (as shown in'Fig. l0) or vice versa (asshown in Fig'. 4) or in fact the link may have a journal and ajournalbearing vengaging a journal bearing and journal, res Jeetively, on theear part (as shown in Fig. l).

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a typical application et my device to a railway car. j

Fig. 2 is a section on line. 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of l.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 arc skeleton diagrams Vshowing the device,respectively, in normal pos1t1on'at the end ot 'the predeterminedmovement and upon additional movement.

Fig. 7 is a detail of the carrier. Fig. 8 is a detail of the link.

9 is a detail ot a modilied link. VFigs. 10 and 1l are' skeletondiagrams showing a modiiied -orm ot the device, re-

saectivel in normal osition and u onV movement in excess 'of thepredetermined movement.

Fig. Vl2 is a detail of the link of the modified form.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. l to 8 the double bearing and pivotconstruction isused at the upper ends of the links and the lower ends otthelinks are` pivoted to the carrier l. lVhen the coupler 2 is in itsnormal (central) position, the link 3 is entirely supported hy its pivot`4, which pivot also supports the link through a predetermined amount ofswinging movement, which would permit the coupler to move laterallysufficiently to accommodate the ordinary movements of the train.

The lower end of the link 3 is pivoted to V the carrier by the trunnion5 but any convenient pivot arrangement may be used. The upper end orthelink Vis provided with vspaced apart portions 6 7 which haveunrestrictedfreedom ot movement or action during such predetermined movement. 5.7hen the link swings laterally ,any additional amount in eitherdirection, one of these said y portions engages a part of the strikingcasting (or other car part) and causes the pivot to be raised from itsbearing, thus shitting the load on the link entirely to the saidportion.

This shitting of the bearing moves the center of the effective radius Eof the-link and the parts may be so proportioned as to maintain the sameradius or to increase or decrease it asy desired. In any event,.how

ever, the eccentricity of the load about its support is increased.Decreasing the effective radius increases the vertical rise ot thecarrier in a given amount of lateral movement, vwhile increasing theeffective radius decreases the said rise. Y Y

In the construction illustrated, the etico tive radius E or F during thepredetermined amount v ot swing is shorter than the effective radiusthereafter (J or H).

The eccentricity or lever arm of the load on the link is the horizontaldistanceV between a vertical plane l() passing through thepivotconnection' between the linkV and the carrier, and anotherverticalplane 11 passing through the contacting line ot the link withthe car part supporting it. rlhe eccentricity Goi' the'load atthe endsof the predetermined movement is equalfto the lateral movement A of thecarrier, while 3 showsl the eccentricity when the link has swung beyondthe predetermined amount and the carrier has moved distance B, Thereiisno eccentricity when the device is in normal position because a verticalplane l2 `passing through the upper pivot 4 also passes through thelower pivot 5.

, Figs. and 8 show the carrier l and link 3, respectively, in detail.The link (of the construction illustrated) has a trunnion pivot 5 at itslower end and another trunnien pivot 4 at its upper end whichareconnected by a shank 1B. The link may have a perforation 14 :for a pin,as shown in Fig. 9. The upper end also has-spaced apart portions G and7. The shittable bearing construction may be accomplished by the use ofa hook, as shown inFig. l2.

Fig. 4 shows the device in normal position and Fig. 5 shows the devicewhen the coupler hasmoved laterally a predetermined amount (A) and Fig.6 shows lthe device with the carrier moved Van amount (B) greater thanthe predetermined movement. In these figures the immaterial parts of tle car have been omitted.

Figs. l0 and l1 show a modification wherein the double bearingconstruction is used on both ends of both links. The action is similarto that'heretofore described.'

VThe effective radius of the link is ailiected in a similar manner tothat heretofore de scribed. lV hen the coupler and carrier are in normalposition and also during the predetermined movement of the link theportion 20y of the carrier l pivots Vupon the during suchpredeterminedmovement. Upf

onV any additional movement of the carrier, for instance, toward theright, as shown in Figli, the upper part ot the link moves away from theportion 23 of the car part ico Cil

and the load is entirely shifted to the portion 27 of the car part 23.At the same time the portion 22 of the link moves away from the carrierso that the load of the carrier upon the link is entirely shifted toportion 2G of the link. rlhe opposite shifting of bearings takes placewhen the carrier moves to the. left.

lVhen the carrier moves laterally (say distance K) the eccentricity (Lor M) of the load is the horizontal distance betveen vertical planes,one of which (30) passes through the contact line of the car part andthe link and the other of which passes through the contact line of thelink and the carrier. There is no eccentricity when the device is innormal position because a vetical plane passes through the contactii'xgline between the link and the car part and also passes through thecontacting line between the link and the carrier. Fig. 12 shows the linkof the modified form in detail.

rihere are certain advantages to be obtained by arranging the spacedapart portions of the link so that both of them support the link when itis in normal position. Such a construction is covered by application`for patent Serial No. 116505, lilcd J une 16, 1926. -Other features aredisclosed and claimed in that application.

In the device covered by this application the load is shifted from onebearing to another by the lateral movement of the carrier. There arecertain advantages in having this shifting performed gradually, which iscovered hy application for patent Serial No. 116,407, filed June 16,1926.

The drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though itis to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exactdetails of construction shown and described, as it is obvious thatvarious modifications thereof within the scope of the claims will occurto persons skilled inl the art.

I claim:

1. 1n a railway car; the combination of a car part element, a couplercarrier element, and a pair of links swingably susoending the oppositeends of the carrier thereto, each link having a pivot entirelysupporting one end of the carrier through a predetermined amount ofswinging movement, one of said links having a portion with unrestrictedaction through said predetermined movement which engages one of saidelements and entirely supports that end of the carrier through anyadditional swinging movement in one direction.

2. In a railway car; the combination of a car part element, al couplercarrier element, and a pair of links swingably suspending the oppositeends of the carrier thereto, each link having a pivot entirelysupporting one end of the carrier through a predetermined amount ofswinging movement, one of said links having a portion with unrestrictedac-` tion through said predetermined movement which engages one of saidelements and entirely supports that end of the carrier through anyadditional swinging movement in one direction whereby the effectiveradius of the link is altered.

8. In a railway car; the combination of a car part element, a couplercarrier element, and a pair of links swingably suspending the oppositeends of the carrier thereto, each link having a pivot entirelysupporting one end of the carrier through a predetermined amount ofswinging movement, one of said links having a portion with unrestrictedaction through said predetermined movement which engages one of saidelements and entirely supports that end of the carrier through anyadditional swinging movement in one direction whereby the effective.radius of the link is increased.

In a railway car; the combination of a car part element, a couplercarrier element, and a pair of links swingably suspending theioppositeends of the carrier thereto, each link having a pivot entirelysupporting one end of the carrier through a predetermined amount ofswinging movement, one ofV said links having spaced apart portions withunrestricted action through said predetermined movement, one of whichengages one of said elements and entirely supports that end of thecarrier through any additional swinging movement in one direction, andthe other of which portions engages a part of the same element andontirely supports the same end of the carrier through any additionalswinging movement wherehy the effective radius of the link is altered byadditional swinging movement of the carrier in either direction.

5. In a railway car; the combination of a car part, a coupler carrier,and a pair of links swingably suspending the opposite ends of thecarrier thereto, each link having a pivot entirely supporting one end ofthe carrier through a predetermined amount of swinging movement, one ofsaidlinks having spaced apart portions at each end with unrestrictedaction through said predetermined movement, some of said portions'engaging the car part and carrier, respectively, and entirelysupporting that end of the carrier through any additional swingingmovement in one direction, and other of said portions engaging the earpart and carrier, respectively, and entirely supporting the same end ofthe carrier through any additional swinging movement in the oppositedirection.

6. 1n a railway car; the combination of a car part element, a couplercarrier element, and a pair of links swingably susrpending the oppositeends of the carrier "thereto, each link havingv a pivot entirelysupporting one end otthe carrier through i a predetermined amount of swinging movement, each of said links having a. Vportion withunrestricted action through said predetermined movement, said portion ofone ofV the links engaging one ofv said ele-` ments and entirelysupporting that end oit the carrier through any additional swing-V ingmovement in one direction and thesaid portion'of the other of the linksengaging said elements and entirely suppor one or ing the other end ofthe carrier through any additional swinging movement in the `other vdirection.

7. A link :tor a car coupler positioning device comprising a shank withapairroi' oppositely disposed trunnions at each end, and a pair `ofoppositely disposed projections at one end of the link ywhichcrltendthereto, oneot said links having an inwardly projecting hook at one endthereof, the endeof the hookforming a journal engage able with a bearingin one Vof said element-s, the end of said hook being: out of contactlwith its bearing Vwhen the device is in its normal central position.

9. In arailway car; the combination of a `car part element, a couplercarrier element, and a pair of links swingably sus- K Vpending theopposite ends of the lcarrier thereto, one ot said links having aninwardly l Vprojecting hook at one end thereof, the end of the hookforming a journalengageable with a bearing in one of said elements, the

inside of said hook forming a Vbearing engageable with a bearing in oneot said elements, the end of said hook being out ci contact with itsbearingy when the device is inits normal central position.

l0. lnVv a railway car; the combination of a car part'element, a couplercarrier eleient, and a pair of links swingably suspending the oppositeends of the carrier thereto, said links having an inwardly project-inghook at each end thereof, the ends or' the hooks forming `journalsengageable with bearings in the car part and carrier respectively, theends ot said hooks being out of contact `with* their respective bearingswhen the device is in its normal central position.

' l1. In a railway car; the combination or a'car part element, a couplercarrier elenient, and a pair of links swingably susmisses pending theopposite ends of the carrier thereto, said links having an inwardlyprojecting hook at each end thereof, the ends oi? the hooks formingjournals Vengageable with bearings inthe car part and carrier`respectively, the inside of said hooks forming bearings engageable withbearings inthe car part and carrier respectively, the ends of saidhooksbeing out oatl contact with their respective bearings when thedevice is in its normal central position.

12. In a railway car; the combination ,of avcar part having an aperturewith abearing oneach side of said aperture and an elevated shelf on eachside of each bearing, and a. swingable link having a trunnion engagingthe bearings on opposite sides of the aperture, said link also havingspaced apart port-ions with unrestricted action through a predeterminedswing of said link which engages one of said' shelves and entirelyAsupports the link through any additional swing of the link.

i3. ln a. railway car; the combination of acar part having an aperturewith a bearing on each side of said aperture and an elevated shelf onone side' of each bearing, and a swingable link having a trunnionengaging the hearings on opposite'sides ofthe aperture, said link alsohaving a. portion with unrestricted action through a` predeterminedswinO' of said link which engages one of said shetlves and entirelysupports the link through any additional swing of the link. 1

11i. ln a railway cargthe combination of a car element having bearingsand other portions, and a swingabie link having. a trim-` nion engagingsaid bearings on said element formingy the sole engagement therebetweenthrough a predetermined swing ot the link, said linkprovided with partswhich engage said other portions or the element forming' the soleengagement therebetween through any additional swing of the link.

l5. In a railway car; the combination of a car part, a' coupler carrier,and a pair of links swingably suspending the opposite ends of thecarrier there-te, one or' the links having an inwardly projectinglateral extension with spaced apart supports for the carrier sopositioned 'that the carrier rests entirely upon one supportfwhen thelink swings in one direction and entirely upon the other support afterthe link swings a predetermined amount in the other direction, thecarrier being out or' contact with onelof "the supports when the deviceis in normal central position.

ARTHUR E. SMALL.

